About 100 women with a desire to help others will converge on Maitland this weekend for the VIEW club zone conference.

The event, which will be held at East Maitland Bowling Club, will give women from VIEW clubs at Maitland, Abermain, Cessnock, Myall River, Nelson Bay, Raymond Terrace, Stockton and Tilligerry a chance to chat, be inspired and raise money.

Members from the Branxton, Hunter, Muswellbrook and Redhead VIEW clubs, which are part of other zones, will also attend.

Author Kate Ryan, who had a stroke when she was 10 and succeeds as a single mother with three young children is the guest speaker. She lives with paralysis on one side of her body.

Zone councillor Anne-Louise Graham-Bell said Ms Ryan’s life story would inspire the group and the conference was an annual chance for clubs in the area to connect.

“It’s giving people a chance to get together, a lot of women come for the friendship and they don’t get to see other VIEW club members a lot,” she said.

“VIEW can be a very strong voice, especially with lobbying.”

VIEW national vice president Gloria Walter, past national president Lorraine Montgomery and past national vice president Christine Newell will attend the event, which starts at 11am.

This year’s theme is Looking forward, Looking back.

Each VIEW club president will speak for three minutes about the past 12 months.

A raffle will be held to raise funds for the learning for life project which helps disadvantaged children receive an education.